Rivers assembly insists election commission’s chairperson must appear before it

The Rivers House of Assembly has extended the time for the chairperson and commissioners of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) to appear before it to 10 March.

Martins Wachukwu, the special assistant to the Speaker on Media Affairs, disclosed this in a statement to reporters in Port Harcourt on Friday.

Mr Wachukwu said the extension of time was to enable the commission to explain some issues concerning its activities.

The speaker’s aide said the house was unhappy that neither the RSIEC chairperson nor the commissioners honoured its earlier invitation.

He said the decision on the latest invitation was taken at a sitting of the house, where it directed the clerk to communicate it to the chairperson and the commissioners.

“They are invited to explain the commission’s actions concerning the 5 October 2024 local government council in the state.

“Another reason for the invitation is to explain the unbudgeted expenditures undertaken by the commission.

“They are also to inform the House how the commission expects to generate funds to conduct the election it is currently proposing,” he said.

The speaker’s aide said the assembly would be forced to invoke the spirit and letters of the constitution if the chairperson and the commissioners failed to appear before it.

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Mr Wachkwu said the house had taken “legislative notice” of Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s refusal to present the 2025 Appropriation Bill as ordered by the Supreme Court.

“The house has also taken notice of the governor’s refusal to submit the list of commissioner nominees to the house as earlier directed,” he said.

(NAN)